Getting Real About Partnering in Place: A TCC Group Learning Event

Guided by four questions, our panelists examine how institutions can adapt systems, how communities and families can be centered, what successful relationships look like, and how to create long-term impact. Emphasizing equity, trust, and shared leadership, the conversation highlights real-world strategies for fostering authentic, community-driven solutions.

Part 1: On Funder Readiness
Go to Part 2: On Practical Strategies
Go to Part 3: On Coming to the Table
Go to Part 4: On Assessing Outcomes

Part 1: On Funder Readiness

How Do Funders Determine if They are Institutionally Ready to Share Power?

This section delves into institutional readiness and how large-scale organizations, including government bodies, nonprofits, and research institutions, must evolve to better support community-driven solutions. The panelists discuss:

• The importance of flexibility in policies to support local innovation.
• The need for long-term investment rather than short-term interventions.
• How data-driven decision-making can support proactive problem-solving.
• The role of public-private partnerships in strengthening community infrastructure.

Key takeaway: Communities thrive when institutional frameworks are adaptable and prioritize local needs over rigid bureaucracy.

Part 2: On Practical Strategies

What Are Some Practices Funders Need to Embrace to Maximize Success?

Funders are evolving beyond traditional grantmaking and investing in long-term, community-driven solutions. This section highlights some actionable ways to make place-based work sustainable:

• Prioritizing long-term infrastructure support for grassroots organizations.
• Allowing funding models to evolve based on community feedback, ensuring relevance and sustainability.
• Creating partnerships that are equitable and collaborative, with communities co-creating the design of funded initiatives.
• Aligning funding across sectors healthcare, housing, public safety, and economic development.

Key Takeaway: Funders must shift from transactional giving to transformational investment.

Part 3: On Coming to the Table

How Can Community Organizations Assess Their Openness to Establishing Partnerships?

We turn the spotlight on the keys for community organizations to evaluate their readiness for collaboration and what other elements they should consider:

• The need for tiers of support to learn from and commiserate with peers who may not be in the same demographic of geographic community, but facing similar issues.
• Methods for keeping the broader community informed and engaged.
• Putting aside competition and past relationships to collaborate on systemic challenges.
• Scaling impact beyond a single community by engaging in policy and systems change.

Key Takeaway: By expanding the definition of community beyond geography and embracing broader networks of support, organizations can scale efforts and gain resources.

Part 4: On Assessing Outcomes

How is Success Measured?

Once initiatives have been implemented, how do we know if they’re working? And when do we need to shift gears? That’s where evaluation comes in – designing a process that is both meaningful and actionable:

• Funders and organizations should align on short- and long-term goals upfront, before funding begins.
• Success isn’t just about hitting numbers—it’s about evaluating progress, adjusting strategies, and improving approaches in real time.
• Ongoing communication ensures that both funders and organizations understand challenges and course corrections together, rather than waiting for final reports.

Key Takeaway: Measuring achievement isn’t just about outcomes – it’s about adaptability, shared learning, and flexibility.

Learn more about how TCC Group develops innovative frameworks for authentic partnerships through our cutting-edge, customized Evaluation and Learning, Grantmaking, Strategy, and Strategic Communications services.